Loaded Dice
by Wandering-Recluse
Summary: Everyone's totem has a special meaning to them. What's Arthur's? Non Slash.


"Want to play?"

A strange man asked Dom as he gazed at the gambling table.

They were in Monte Carlo, Dom had a bit of spare time on his hands and was walking around, trying to get the layout of the town.

Dom realized he had not answered the man…no, he realized it wasn't even a man. It was a boy. No more than seventeen. The boy was obviously in a bad state if not homeless. He was dressed in clothes that looked like they had been worn a few days in a row and his hair was a mess.

It was a few weeks after he and Mal had come back from limbo. She was still different, he had to pull knives from her hands, take away pills and hide razors. He couldn't trust her with the children anymore.

Monte Carlo seemed like a good idea, Monaco was as far away from anything he had known that he felt he could forget for a while.

"Parlez vous Francais?" The boy asked in flawless French.

"No…no. I speak English." Dom responded.

"Do you want to play?" The boy asked again. Dom shook his head.

"No, I don't gamble."

The boy stood beside him as they both looked at the empty table.

"You've come to the wrong city then sir. This is the city for the young and the free."

Dom looked at the boy steadily.

"Then I guess I just have an old soul." His voice sounded aged and bittered. When had that happened?

"Well, if you don't gamble how about some company for the night? I have the perfect girl for you." The boy was sly, Dom could give him that. But he couldn't even think about another woman at the moment…even if it was just for sex.

"No girls!" He yelled.

The stranger raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, boys if you prefer…honestly I get paid both ways."

Dom sighed.

"One game? Then will you leave me alone."

"Only if you win. If not we keep playing until I say we stop." The boy argued.

Dom took another look at the boy. He needed the money.

"Fine."

They took their places at the table.

3 hours later Dom was out almost $300 American.

He was seriously angry.

"Can we stop now?" He finally asked when he didn't have any more money.

The boy gave Dom a cheeky smile.

"Alright….hey-is that person waving at you?" He pointed behind Dom.

"I don't-" But he turned around anyway just to make sure.

He turned back to see the boy-and his wallet-gone. Not even a trace of them. Except for the dice left on the table.

He didn't care about the wallet or the money. He had lots.

The kid had talent….and maybe he was just the tiniest bit angry about his money.

He thoughtfully picked up one of the dice the kid had left. He examined it and rolled it absentmindedly on the table. Then he noticed something odd. He repeated the motion. The die landed on the same side. Just to be sure he did it once again with the same results.

The die was loaded.

Okay-now he _had _to find the kid.

He gazed down at the sleeping boy, Arthur-according to a street rat he had found who knew the kid.

He was in an abandoned warehouse. It held extras from the casino that should have been thrown out but were not. That was good. It appeared he could sleep anywhere. That would be useful.

He carefully settled onto the mattress beside the boy and settled in, sleep coming quickly.

Arthur looked around. He had no idea how he had gotten here, it looked like no place he had ever been. Sure there were parts of places that he recognized from pictures and otherwise. The Golden Gate Bridge for instance, or the shoreline of Monte Carlo. But it all was a very abstract image.

"Hello."

He spun around and faced the man who he had swindled earlier.

He heart beat unbelievably quickly. But he managed to keep calm on the outside. He was good at that-he had to be.

_It's just a dream, it's not real. It's your subconscious and for some reason it's projecting this guy to you. _

"Come, walk with me." The man offered. Arthur looked at him guardedly but decided that it couldn't hurt to do what he was offering.

They walked along the empty streets, the lack of people slightly unnerving. Or at least Arthur thought so. He was used to the stupid, drunken tourists wandering around, prone targets to his scams.

"Where are we?" Arthur finally ventured. The stranger looked at him.

"In your subconscious. But don't wake up. I want to talk."

Arthur had to concentrate not to have the knee jerk reaction of not waking up when told you're dreaming. It was hard but he managed.

"Let's talk." The man said as they walked along the road.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked curiously. This was all a dream anyway.

"The name's Dominic Cobb, Dom for short."

"Arthur." He replied shortly.

"I know. So Arthur…have you ever heard of something called extraction before?"

Arthur jolted up from his mattress. He looked around then relaxed, it really all had been a dream. None of it had been real.

The red glint caught his eye. It was his loaded die that he had left behind in his haste to escape. Under it a business card with a few simple words that would change his life.

_Call me_

_747-310-5712_

_Cobb

* * *

_

So I watched Inception for it last night (I actually got it for Christmas but hadn't gotten around to watching it) and it's awesome. Especially Joseph Gordon Levitt. I've seen him in Mysterious Skin, Latter Day and 500 Days of Summer so I kinda love him. I had a strike of inspiration...'bout time too about Arthur's die and why he uses it for his totem.

Review please!


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